Why This Film Matters

Boogie Nights endures because it’s deeply human. Every character is flawed, ambitious, and striving for connection or recognition. The film captures the intoxicating optimism of youth — Los Angeles as a sun-drenched utopia where anyone can reinvent themselves — and contrasts it with the dark reality of addiction, ambition, and loss.

Mark Wahlberg’s Dirk Diggler showcases a wide acting range, capturing ambition, vulnerability, and eventual disillusionment. John C. Reilly’s Clifford provides emotional grounding with warmth, awkward charm, and loyalty. Burt Reynolds as Jack Horner anchors the ensemble with gravitas, embodying both mentorship and the bittersweet nostalgia of Hollywood’s golden age. Early-career performances from Heather Graham, Don Cheadle, William H. Macy, and Philip Seymour Hoffman lend energy and depth, each character nuanced and multi-layered.

The production design, costumes, and cinematography create a vivid, nostalgic portrait of 1970s–80s California, highlighting the glamour, the freedom, and the underlying decay of the industry. The characters’ journeys from youthful exuberance to hard-earned redemption resonate decades later, making this a timeless story of ambition, human frailty, and the pursuit of identity.

Boogie Nights 4K Ultra HD Release Information

• Release Date: December 9–16, 2025

• Formats: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray + Digital Code

• Studios: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment / New Line Cinema

• Availability: U.S., Canada, UK, and select international retailers

• Edition Types: Standard 4K (wide retail release), Limited Edition SteelBook (collector-focused)

Both versions are widely available, though the SteelBook edition is limited and moves in and out of stock quickly. International collectors can safely purchase many editions thanks to region-free compatibility.

4K Ultra HD Specs and Technical Details

Picture & Transfer

• Resolution: Native 4K (2160p) with HEVC / H.265 encoding

• HDR: HDR10

• Aspect Ratio: ~2.39:1 (theatrical framing preserved)

• Source: Newly remastered from original negatives and intermediate elements

• Film Stock: Primarily 35mm Eastman EXR, with some 16mm inserts

• Colour & Grain: Rich colour contrast, natural shadow detail, and maintained filmic texture

This release marks the film’s first official 4K mastering on physical media. HDR10 grading brings out contrast and detail previously inaccessible on standard Blu-ray, while respecting the original cinematography and maintaining the natural grain structure. The remaster balances clarity with the warmth and tactile texture of the original film.

Audio

• Primary Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)

• Additional Tracks: Dolby Digital 5.1 in French and Spanish

• Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

The original 5.1 mix preserves the theatrical sound design, emphasizing dialogue clarity while keeping music and effects dynamic. The surround channels are subtle, supporting the front-focused soundstage and allowing the iconic soundtrack — from rock to pop hits of the era — to feel present and immersive. No Atmos remix is included, preserving the authenticity of the original mix.

Packaging and Slipcover Design

The standard 4K case showcases Heather Graham from the first house party scene: polaroid camera in hand, red outfit, heart-shaped yellow sunglasses, looking straight at the camera — capturing the playful, kinetic energy of the film.

The slipcover mirrors the case artwork, while the back features Mark Wahlberg in the film’s final scene, clad in a white jacket, symbolically hinting at the character’s narrative arc and transformation.

Boogie Nights 4K SteelBook Edition

The SteelBook is a must-have for collectors:

• Front Artwork: A bold, cartoon-style collage featuring Rollergirl front and centre with 1970s-inspired colours and retro typography

• Back Artwork: Still of Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) in the editing room

• Interior: Layered Polaroid-style collage of stills from the film

This limited edition was released widely across the U.S., Canada, and the UK, though stock fluctuates at specialty retailers like GRUV Canada and Amazon. The artwork remains consistent across most retailers, and most 4K discs are region-free, allowing safe international play.

Picture Quality and Transfer Notes

The 4K remaster enhances the film’s production design, costumes, and cinematography, showcasing the warmth of California interiors, neon-lit nightclubs, and sun-soaked exteriors. Fine details like textures in clothing, set elements, and background activity are now more visible, while the original grain and filmic feel are carefully preserved. This transfer highlights both the glamorous and gritty aspects of the era, keeping the story visually grounded.

Audio & Score Spotlight

The DTS-HD 5.1 track keeps the soundtrack — a critical storytelling tool — front and centre. While not immersive in a modern Atmos sense, the mix provides clarity and impact for music, dialogue, and environmental sound. Subtle surround effects enhance party sequences, club scenes, and intimate character moments, maintaining the energy and rhythm of the original theatrical experience.

Bonus Features and Special Features

The 4K release is packed with extras that give collectors and fans a deep understanding of the film, its making, and its characters.

American Cinematheque Panels

• Panel 1: Paul Thomas Anderson & John C. Reilly discuss Reilly’s character Clifford, exploring how his gentle, morally complex presence balances the more flamboyant characters.

• Panel 2: Paul Thomas Anderson alone reflects on tone, character arcs, and period context, offering insight into both the storytelling and technical decisions.

Director’s Commentary

Anderson walks through choices in cinematography, pacing, and editing, sharing why certain scenes were structured as they were and how the ensemble cast shaped the story.

Cast Commentary

Full ensemble commentary features:

• Mark Wahlberg (Dirk Diggler) — capturing his rise, vulnerability, and collapse

• Burt Reynolds (Jack Horner) — suave, fatherly, and nuanced

• John C. Reilly (Clifford) — emotional anchor

• Heather Graham (Rollergirl), Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and others

Actors discuss chemistry, behind-the-scenes humour, and challenges navigating the film’s explicit or emotionally charged sequences.

Additional Scenes & The John C. Reilly Files

• Deleted Scenes: Over 29 minutes of moments that deepen character arcs, including “Ham and Cheese,” “Buck and Amber in the Van,” and New Year’s Eve sequences.

• The John C. Reilly Files: Nearly 35 minutes of extended sequences and outtakes showcasing Clifford’s physicality, warmth, and loyalty.

Music Videos & Featurettes

Includes Michael Penn’s music video and behind-the-scenes content highlighting set design, wardrobe, and interactions between cast members.

Why it matters: These extras provide context for decisions that shaped the final cut, from pacing to character development, giving collectors and fans an archival experience rather than just a film on disc.

Final Thoughts for Physical Media Collectors

This 4K Ultra HD release is a must-have for collectors:

• Newly remastered 4K transfer preserves the film’s cinematic look

• DTS-HD 5.1 audio faithfully represents the original theatrical mix

• Extensive bonus features and commentary bring unparalleled insight into the characters and filmmaking process

• SteelBook edition with Polaroid-style interior collage and vibrant 70s-inspired artwork is a standout collectible

Whether you’re revisiting Boogie Nights or experiencing it for the first time, this release offers clarity, context, and artistry — everything a collector could want in a definitive physical edition.

The post Boogie Nights (1997) 4K Ultra HD: Release Details, SteelBook & Collector Overview appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

That film is The Friendly Town, a romantic comedy thriller that Martin describes as Cabin in the Woods for Hallmark Christmas movies. It follows two best friends who return home for the holidays, only to realize their town is trapped in a never-ending loop of Christmas clichés. Every few minutes, another impossibly perfect woman appears, another meet-cute unfolds, and another happy ending seems inevitable. The twist is that the characters are aware of it, and they’re desperate to escape before they become the next picture-perfect couple.

Martin isn’t interested in parody for parody’s sake. Beneath the satire is a critique of how these movies flatten relationships into something frictionless and unrealistic. “In hundreds of these films, there’s never any real drama,” he says. “We know right away they’re going to end up together forever.” The Friendly Town pushes back on that idea, questioning whether the fantasy of effort-free love is comforting, or quietly damaging.

There was never any doubt where the film would be set. Almonte, Ontario, where Martin spent much of his childhood and where his family still lives, has become one of Canada’s most recognizable Christmas-movie towns. Dozens of Hallmark productions have used it as a stand-in for quaint American cities, to the point where millions of viewers have already seen its streets dressed up in festive lights. In The Friendly Town, Almonte finally gets to play itself.

That real-world history is central to the film’s tone. Characters return home to Almonte as Almonte, not a fictional U.S. town, creating a strange overlap between the audience’s familiarity with the location and the story’s heightened reality. Martin jokes that it almost turns those past movies into part of the same universe. For locals, many of whom have grown used to being asked to take down Valentine’s or St. Patrick’s Day decorations to make way for another Christmas shoot, the film is also a wink of solidarity.

But The Friendly Town is as much a protest as it is a genre experiment. Martin is blunt about how American productions operate in Canada. He’s seen U.S. companies take advantage of tax credits, bring up American stars at high salaries, and leave Canadian cast and crew fighting for what’s left. As an actor, he’s watched fake auditions held for roles already promised to Americans, simply to satisfy paperwork. “It makes us a vassal,” he says. “And at this point, that’s unacceptable.”

In response, Martin committed to a 100% Canadian cast and crew, and went a step further. Inspired by alternative production models, The Friendly Town is structured so that everyone involved receives ownership in the film. If it succeeds, those artists benefit long-term, not just from a one-time paycheque. “Artists are struggling, but we’re the ones who actually do the work,” he says. “We should own the work.”

That approach changes the dynamic on set. Instead of a project everyone knows won’t be Citizen Kane and won’t pay particularly well, Martin wants a collaborative environment where ideas are welcome and people are invested in making the film better. It’s a small rebellion against an industry that often asks Canadian creatives to keep their heads down and be grateful for scraps.

To get the project off the ground, Martin turned to Kickstarter, drawn by its all-or-nothing model and its ability to build a real audience around the film. The campaign isn’t just about raising money; it’s about finding supporters who want to see something different from holiday cinema—and who will help spread the word. “That kind of social capital,” he says, “you can’t buy.”

Success, for Martin, isn’t just box office numbers. It’s a Canadian film that people actually want to watch, one that proves local talent doesn’t need imported star power to matter. It’s also a model he hopes others will adopt. After 16 years in the industry, he’s realistic about how few doors truly open but he’s optimistic about momentum. If The Friendly Town works, it might make the next project a little easier, for him and for others watching closely.

For audiences exhausted by formulaic holiday movies, Martin hopes the film delivers more than a knowing laugh. He wants them to laugh, maybe cry, and walk away feeling that the story said something real about life and relationships, something the endless cycle of pretty people falling in love with no resistance rarely does. In a town built on Christmas fantasies, The Friendly Town dares to ask what happens when the spell wears off.

The post The Friendly Town Is a Canadian Satire of Hallmark Christmas Movies appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What’s unique about Leanne is her ability to balance raw talent with relentless discipline. She grew up in Saskatoon, raised by a single dad who ran a fitness store, and you can still see those early lessons of grit and independence in everything she does. Whether it was dancing across Ukraine as a soloist, training in New York and Los Angeles, or carving out space for herself in Toronto’s acting scene, she has never waited for opportunities; she builds them.

Her career reflects that drive. She held a recurring guest star role on Hallmark’s award-winning series Good Witch, produced and starred in the OUTtv mini-series FAK YAASS, and most recently led The Dating Game, a short film now winning awards across the festival circuit.

As her husband, I’ve had a front row seat to how much she invests in her work and in the people around her. On set, she is dependable, fearless, and prepared. At home, she is grounded, funny, and supportive. She is the kind of artist who not only makes a project better, but makes the people in it better, too.

***

Which ’hood are you in?

I’ve lived in The Village for years, close to the energy, central to get around, and a quick walk to Yorkville. My favourite area I have lived in over my years in Toronto is Ossington, a relaxed vibe, great shops, and Trinity Bellwoods right there.

What do you do?

I am an actress and producer. I love telling stories on camera and building characters that have complex layers underneath. The best stories in my eyes are those that reflect humanity, relatable circumstances, and often overlooked voices.

What are you currently working on?

My short film, The Dating Game, is currently making its run in the film festival circuit. I recently got the pleasure of working in the vertical series space on titles like The Billionaire’s Amnesiac Bride and Back in Time to Avenge Myself.

Where can we find your work?

Amazon Prime and Hallmark+, with past work on OUTtv. You can also follow along on Instagram and find the awards The Dating Game has won on IMDb.

The post “A Day in the Life” with: Toronto Artist Leanne Smith appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Not to overstate the obvious, but it’s been a great century so far.

We’ve gotten to witness the incredible trajectory of indie filmmakers like Richard Linklater (the Slacker guy who has, somehow, not lost his touch in thirty-five years), alongside former indie directors like Christopher Nolan (two of whose films, an early 21st century ultra-indie and a recent big budget spectacle, appear on this list). During that same period, a succession of remarkable non-Hollywood features, from as far flung as Iran, and as close as our own backyard, have earned unparalleled success, introducing a whole new filmgoing generation to the joy of subtitles, slow cinema, and non-precocious child acting.

Not everything on this list is arthouse; not everything on this list is a universal favourite. Some choices are sure to be divisive. Some omissions even more so. (We love you, David Lynch, but Mulholland Dr. just didn’t make the cut.)

Also, and we swear this wasn’t by design, while we did include many of the “canonical” filmmakers, we rarely preferred their most popular films. (In other words, There Will Be Blood is out, The Master in.)

Ranging from psychedelic horror to piercing character studies to slowburn romance, here, then, are our favourite twenty-five films from a quarter-century of movie watching; the works that most reminded us of the power, the joy, the brilliance of cinema.

1. A Separation (2011, d. Asghar Farhadi)

Farhadi’s insightful, unusually riveting family drama is that rare work of fiction which finds something meaningful, even revelatory, in the day-to-day, not especially consequential, lives of ordinary people. Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, A Separation (Jodāi-e Nāder az Simin) follows the unpredictable, and increasingly spiralling, consequences of a series of decisions – to petition for divorce, to hire a caregiver for an ailing father – made by an unhappily married couple in contemporary Iran. Subversive without drawing the ire of Iranian censors, it’s easily the masterpiece of 21st century cinema.

2. The Lives of Others (2006, d. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)

The greatest Cold War espionage tale not based on a John Le Carré, The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) is a thrilling, intelligent, exceptional film, and another deserving Foreign Language Oscar winner. (Another unexpected theme of this list: the Academy tends to get the foreign film prize right, but little else.) Set in 1980s East Berlin, Lives follows Stasi spy Gerd Wiesler (actor Friedrich Hans Ulrich Mühe, who passed away shortly after the film’s release) as he secretly monitors a playwright and his inner circle, becoming increasingly, dangerously, invested in the lives of strangers who don’t even know he exists.

3. The Tree of Life (2011, d. Terrence Malick)

So heavily indebted to 2001: A Space Odyssey that it borrowed its special effects director (the legendary Doug Trumbull), Malick’s moody, achingly beautiful experimental melodrama represents the apotheosis of Malick’s style (even if, in our opinion, his Days of Heaven (1978) is slightly better). Nominally depicting the reminiscences of a middle-aged man (Sean Penn) burdened by a lifetime of tragedy, its frequent digressions into headier themes – environmental collapse, the dawn of the universe, the apocalypse – result in some of the most astonishing imagery ever put on celluloid. Perhaps the only film on this list which has to be seen on the big screen. (I like in70mm.com to keep track of that sort of thing.)

4. Punch-Drunk Love (2002, d. Paul Thomas Anderson)

The master of the cinematic two-hander, PTA gave us, in Punch-Drunk Love, the most off-kilter romantic comedy of the modern era. Depicting the trials and tribulations of Barry Egan (a never-better Adam Sandler), Love captures the beauty and absurdity of love, its sad sack protagonist navigating a series of incidents – among them an encounter with a discarded harmonium, and an ill-advised call to a phone sex line – as he awkwardly attempts to woo Lena Leonard (Emily Watson, also in a career-best performance). Very, very loosely inspired by the true story of a frequent flyer scheme involving pudding cups, Punch-Drunk Love is our feel-good film of the 21st century, and the one we regularly return to when feeling blue.

5. The Master (2012, d. Paul Thomas Anderson)

Speaking of PTA two-handers, Anderson’s astonishing, disturbing, extraordinary The Master – starring Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman (who was so memorable as the mattress man in Punch-Drunk Love) – is, for our money, cinema’s authoritative depiction of toxic masculinity (or perhaps toxic codependency). Phoenix delivers his greatest performance as Freddie Quell, a Navy veteran drawn into the vertiginous orbit of self-proclaimed “master” (read: L. Ron Hubbard-like cult leader) Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman), whose ideas about self-improvement and self-actualization are, shall we say, more than a bit unorthodox.

6. Memento (2000, d. Christopher Nolan)

Nolan’s breakout film is a 113-minute puzzle box, daring viewers to unravel its many, confoundingly arranged, threads. The film follows (or perhaps the better phrase is “tries to keep up with”) Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), an anterograde amnesiac with trouble remembering what happened moment to moment, for which he compensates by tattooing key information on his body. In order to mimic Leonard’s sensation of perpetual confusion, Nolan structures the film in reverse order, with its opening, contextless scene (and shocking act of violence) representing the chronological endpoint of a story which then retraces its steps backwards, revealing to the audience everything which came before – and which Leonard has already forgotten.

7. Man on Wire (2008, d. James Marsh)

One of only three documentaries to crack our list, James Marsh’s exuberant profile of highwire artist Philippe Petit, and his attempt to tightrope walk between the then-under-construction Twin Towers in 1974, plays like a cross between a traditional doc and a Hollywood thriller. Petit, the legendary performer who garnered international acclaim for stunts like tightrope walking above Notre-Dame de Paris, is an ideal subject: playful, mischievous, philosophical about the art and the beauty of his very specific brand of performance.

8. In the Loop (2009, d. Armando Iannucci)

The best political satire since Dr. Strangelove, Iannucci’s In the Loop, a spiritual spin-off of his brilliant (and criminally underseen) The Thick of It television series, brutally depicts the gross incompetence of the awful people we foolishly entrust with our governance. Protagonist Simon Foster (a very funny Tom Hollander) is a Minister in the British Government plagued by the stirrings of a conscience, as well as a fantastic habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Which, of course, lands him in hot water with the PM’s Director of Communications (a delightfully foul-mouthed Peter Capaldi), and at the heart of a grotesque UK-US conspiracy to launch an illegal war in the Middle East. Difficult, difficult, lemon difficult, indeed.

9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004, d. Michel Gondry)

Gondry’s ode to love and human connection is a timeless classic, effortlessly capturing everything from the spark of attraction to the pangs of falling in love, to, finally, heartbreakingly, what happens when things fall apart. Like our fourth entry, this is a seriocomic showcase for an otherwise famously silly comedian, Jim Carrey here blessed with the perfect role and the perfect counterpart – manic pixie dream girl Kate Winslet, doing her best to subvert the trope she more or less originated in this film.

10. Take Shelter (2011, d. Jeff Nichols)

Nichols gifts long-time collaborator Michael Shannon the role of a lifetime as Curtis LaForche, a quiet, unassuming family man plagued by visions of impending apocalypse. Whether Curtis’s images are prophetic, or merely signs of mental collapse, remains a tantalizing mystery throughout, even as Nichols uses this light sci-fi set-up to meditate on themes such as masculinity, male fragility, familial bonds, and the power of belief. One of the few horror or horror-adjacent films which has made us cry, and we couldn’t tell you if those were tears of pity or of fear.

11. Winter’s Bone (2010, d. Debra Granik)

True story: at the conclusion of Debra Granik’s riveting Winter’s Bone, I turned to my moviegoing companion and said, “this young actress is incredible, too bad she’ll never make it in Hollywood.” While she had had a couple minor roles before this, nothing could have prepared us for Jennifer Lawrence’s star-making turn here. As teenager Ree Dolly, de facto single parent to several younger siblings, Lawrence is never anything less than amazing in this terrifying backwoods odyssey through the meth-infested Ozarks. Her Best Actress nomination, at twenty years old, made Lawrence the third-youngest nominee ever; she (wrongly) lost out to Natalie Portman.

12. The Barbarian Invasions (2003, d. Denys Arcand)

Another Oscar winner – in this case, Canada’s first-ever Best Foreign Film recipient – The Barbarian Invasions (Les Invasions Barbares) is a darkly funny dramedy about a dying man, strained relationships, and trying to find peace and acceptance amidst the indignities of aging. Rémy Girard reprises his role as “Rémy” from Arcand’s much earlier The Decline of the American Empire (1986), while Stéphane Rousseau is excellent as his son Sébastien, with a strong supporting turn from the wonderful Marie-Josée Croze (who, fun fact, got her big break in Denis Villeneuve’s Maelström).

13. O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000, d. Joel & Ethan Coen)

Further proof that the Coen Brothers are masters of whatever genre they set their mind to, this rambling, wildly entertaining, perfectly soundtracked musical-comedy is the best Coens film this side of the new millennium, anchored by sterling turns from George Clooney (lip-syncing to bluegrass singer Dan Tyminski), John Turturro, and a host of beloved character actors including Coens stalwarts John Goodman, Charles Durning, and the always-delightful Stephen Root. (Another fun piece of pop culture trivia: the title is a deep-cut reference to screwball comedy Sullivan’s Travels, perhaps the funniest film of the 1940s.)

14. Frances Ha (2012, d. Noah Baumbach)

Long before she sold her soul to a plastic toy company, Greta Gerwig starred in and co-wrote this charming anti-manic/pixie comedy about a dancer barely making ends meet in a Manhattan for which she is clearly out of her depth – emotionally, fiscally, and psychologically. Frances’s pathetic but amusing efforts to play it cool – like booking a solo trip to Paris on a maxed-out credit card – are endearing, even if we sometimes wish we could just reach through the screen and shake some sense into her.

15. Before Sunset (2004, d. Richard Linklater)

Linklater’s near-perfect Before trilogy, which began in 1994 and seemingly concluded with 2014’s Before Midnight, reaches its midpoint with this enthralling, eighty-minute walk-and-talk reunion of Before Sunrise’s Céline (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke). And now for another true filmgoing story from your resident Guardian critic: because the film plays out in real time as one uninterrupted conversation (here in a beautifully realized Paris), and because that conversation is so riveting, I was genuinely confused when the credits rolled the first time I saw this, since it felt like I had only sat down five minutes ago.

16. Stories We Tell (2012, d. Sarah Polley)

Toronto legend Sarah Polley‘s unexpected, altogether fascinating documentary about a family secret – her family’s secret – is one of the all-time great Canadian films. Establishing, at first, its purported aim of unpacking the director’s complicated relationship with her actress mother, who died of cancer when Polley was eleven, the film quickly transforms into something else entirely, with at least two twists – small-scale in the grand scheme, but nevertheless guaranteed to leave audiences talking. Seeing this opening night at TIFF, with the Polley family in attendance, is one of our great cinemagoing memories.

17. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013, d. Joel & Ethan Coen)

The Coens’ other great 21st century film (sorry, No Country…) is a shaggy dog story about a shaggy character, the titular Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), a struggling folk singer in 1960s Greenwich Village congenitally incapable of doing, saying, or even singing the right thing. Though it plays like a tragedy – you can’t help but feel bad for the guy – it’s also a very funny period piece about an unlikeable loser, buffeted by the winds of change. How many roads must a man walk down?

18. Dunkirk (2017, d. Christopher Nolan)

Nolan’s latter-day output has never been anything less than electrifying, this WWII thriller the best of the bunch. Echoing (consciously or unconsciously) the nonlinear structure of Memento, Dunkirk weaves together three parallel storylines involving the infamous evacuation of Dunkirk. In one thread, a young soldier (Fionn Whitehead) spends an anxious week on the beach awaiting rescue as German troops close in. In another, we follow the twenty-four-hour miracle of the “small ships” flotilla, in which a fleet of civilian sailors (an excellent Mark Rylance among them) traversed the English Channel in aid of rescue efforts. Finally, the film dips in and out of a one-hour aerial battle between an RAF Spitfire (piloted by Tom Hardy, no less) and a squadron German fighter planes, in a series of thrilling dogfight sequences to rival Top Gun.

19. Midsommar (2019, d. Ari Aster)

The most horrifying breakup movie of all time, Ari Aster’s sophomore effort is grotesque, unnerving, and psychedelic in all the worst possible ways. Florence Pugh is, as usual, phenomenal as Dani Ardor, a young woman reeling from recent tragedy, and saddled with a laughably awful boyfriend whom she clearly should not have accompanied on a research trip to a remote Nordic community. It’s a horror movie, a breakup movie, and the world’s most compelling anti-drug PSA all rolled up into one.

20. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001, d. Peter Jackson)

Even though, in one sense, Peter Jackson’s LotR trilogy does a disservice to the beauty and the poetry of Tolkien’s novels, even this imperfect adaptation – of which this first film remains the strongest entry – makes for an extraordinary cinematic experience. It’s tough to pick our favourite moment, though it’s hard not to feel goosebumps during the Mines of Moria sequence, especially once the Balrog rears its ugly, flame-breathing head. And yes, the Extended Edition is the only way to watch.

21. Annihilation (2018, d. Alex Garland)

Alex Garland’s compelling career arc – he adapted his novel The Beach for Danny Boyle, before collaborating with Boyle on 28 Days Later and Sunshine, only to branch out on his own with a series of increasingly off-kilter, horror-inflected thrillers – has been one of the great cinematic throughlines of the 21st century. Freely adapted from Jeff VanderMeer’s popular sci-fi novel, Annihilation follows a team of soldiers and scientists – Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson among them – sent to explore a mysterious, Stalker-like zone which has been bizarrely transformed by a horrifying alien influence. It’s intelligent, it’s scary, it’s quietly feminist – the main cast, with the exception of Oscar Isaac’s injured survivor, is entirely female – and it’s a hell of a trip.

22. Drive My Car (2021, d. Ryusuke Hamaguchi)

It’s one minute longer than the theatrical cut of Fellowship of the Ring, but occupies a wholly different, profoundly intimate, cinematic space. Drive My Car, adapted from a series of loosely connected Haruki Murakami short stories, focuses on theatre director Yūsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima, excellent), as he attempts to mount a multilingual production of Uncle Vanya at a prestigious theatre festival in Hiroshima. Haunted by tragedy and the sensation that his life is coming apart at the seams, Yūsuke bonds unexpectedly with the young, rough-hewn woman (Tōko Miura) assigned as his chauffeur. Languorously paced, with the best – and least expected – title drop in recent memory, it’s a film about people, about art, and about the simple act of living.

23. Encounters at the End of the World (2007, d. Werner Herzog)

Any decade’s best-of list is incomplete without at least one entry from Werner Herzog. After directing some of the best films of the 1970s (Aguirre, the Wrath of God), 1980s (Fitzcarraldo), and 1990s (Little Dieter Needs to Fly), Herzog’s 2000s output (which also includes Grizzly Man and Cave of Forgotten Dreams, both of which narrowly missed this list) reached its peak with the marvelous Encounters. Herzog, ever the eye for spotting unusual stories and unusual people, spent months in the Antarctic, capturing the lives of those – men, women, insane penguins – who call this extreme place home.

24. Petite Maman (2021, d. Céline Sciamma)

Though she came to prominence with a decidedly more famous queer historical romance, we think Sciamma’s follow-up, this low-key, quietly beautiful story about childhood, is even better. With a light dusting of magical realism, Petite Maman tells the story of a little girl (Joséphine Sanz) and her unusual week at her mother’s childhood home, where she befriends someone (we’ll stay carefully spoiler-free) altogether out-of-the-ordinary. Heavily indebted to Truffaut, that undisputed master of films about childhood, it’s a slim (72 minute), dreamlike fable.

25. Azor (2021, d. Andreas Fontana)

Easily our most obscure pick, Andreas Fontanat’s bleakly thrilling Azor, a sort of Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now for 1980s Argentina, earns its spot through its brilliant, nauseatingly believable depiction of evil as a subtle, implacable, irresistible force. Centered on quiet, well-dressed Swiss banker (Fabrizio Rongione), recently deployed to Argentina at the height of its military dictatorship, Azor‘s deliberate, meditative pacing belies the sheer malevolence which guides its characters and their actions. As accurate a depiction of the nature of elite power structures as any of the great films about the evils of capitalism.

HONOURABLE MENTION / BONUS CAN-CON AWARD:

[TIE] Enemy (2013, d. Denis Villeneuve) / Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2009, d. Edgar Wright)

After our first run at this article generated well over one hundred films, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to dole out a bonus, maple-blooded, totally-made-up award to a pair of CanCon favourites.

Two of the Torontoest movies to ever Toronto, Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy – about a meek University of Toronto Mississauga(!) professor (Jake Gyllenhaal) who encounters his sexier, more confident doppelgänger – and Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World – which, come to think of it, also involves a socially awkward hero (Michael Cera) meeting a mirror-world version of himself – constitute two wildly divergent takes on our eternally insecure city, so used to offering itself up as a cheap substitute for other, more glamorous places.

Of the two, Scott Pilgrim is by far the more entertaining film, with its hyperkinetic, uber-geek comic stylings and knack for visual and acoustic flourishes – just check out that Metric scene. Enemy is, however, the more interesting film, a psychosexual thriller which dares to imagine Toronto as an insidious, dysfunctional, hotbed of depravity.

Makes for a great double feature.

***
For more of our favourite films, check out our resident film critic’s Top 10 Films of All Time, as well as our picks for the spookiest films guaranteed to give you nightmares.

The post The 25 Best Movies of the 21st Century (So Far) appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Here’s a roundup of the best places to buy 4K movies in Toronto, nearby in Guelph, and online across Canada.

Where to Buy 4K Movies in Toronto

Bay Street Video

Location: 1172 Bay St., Toronto
Website: baystreetvideo.com

Bay Street Video is a beloved institution for movie lovers in Toronto. With a vast collection of both mainstream and hard-to-find films, it’s an ideal spot for 4K enthusiasts. Whether you’re looking for the latest releases or rare indie gems, Bay Street Video has something for everyone.

TIFF Bell Lightbox (ONLY November 18 – December 31, 2025)

Location: 220 Yonge St., Toronto
Website: shop.tiff.net

As the retail arm of the renowned Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF Bell Lightbox offers a curated selection of 4K titles, particularly art-house and critically acclaimed films as part of the Criterion Collection. You can find the titles on their website as well as some in store. This will only be available from November 18th, 2025 – December 31st, 2025.

Vinegar Syndrome

Location: 399 Roncesvalles Ave., Toronto
Website: vinegarsyndrome.com

For collectors of rare and cult films, Vinegar Syndrome on Roncesvalles Ave. is a must-visit. Specializing in restorations of obscure, genre-bending films, their selection of 4K releases will satisfy any cineaste’s cravings for something off the beaten path.

Eyesore Cinema

Location: 1176 Bloor St W, Toronto
Website: eyesorecinema.com

This quirky, independent shop specializes in the strange and the avant-garde. Eyesore Cinema offers a solid selection of 4K movies, including unique international films, hard-to-find releases, and a variety of genres that cater to the most discerning collectors.

BMV Books

Location: 471 Bloor St. W, Toronto
Website: bmvbooks.com

Known for its extensive selection of books, BMV Books also boasts a decent collection of DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K movies. With its affordable prices and frequent sales, it’s a great place to browse and discover films you might not find elsewhere.

ABC Books

Location: 662 Yonge St, Toronto
Website: ABCBooKsToronto.blogspot.com

Though primarily a used bookstore, ABC Books on Yonge Street is a hidden gem for movie lovers. Their selection of 4K discs may be more limited than other stores, but the prices are usually great, and you might just find a rare title or two.

Where to Buy 4K Movies Near Toronto

Cinema 1 (Guelph)

Location: Stone Road Mall, 435 Stone Road West, Guelph
Website: cinema1.ca

Located just outside Toronto in Guelph, Cinema 1 is a well-known independent movie store that carries an impressive range of 4K films. It’s the perfect stop for those in the surrounding area looking to add some new titles to their collection.

FYE Sunrise Records (Guelph)

Location: 435 Stone Rd W, Guelph
Website: sunriserecords.com

Sunrise Records at Stone Road Mall in Guelph has a great selection of movies, including 4K titles. FYE offers a variety of genres, from big studio releases to more niche choices, ensuring that there’s something for everyone.

The Beat Goes On (Multiple Locations)

Location: Multiple
Website: beatgoeson.com

The Beat Goes On is a chain of stores with locations across Ontario, including Guelph, Oakville, and more. Known for its large catalog of movies, music, and vinyl, they carry a solid selection of 4K titles at competitive prices.

Where to Buy 4K Movies Online in Canada

Unobstructed View

Website: unobstructedview.com

Unobstructed View is a Canadian online retailer specializing in high-definition media. They offer a wide selection of 4K Blu-rays, with a particular focus on films from boutique labels and independent releases. Fast shipping and competitive pricing make them a top choice for online shoppers.

Cinema 1

Website: cinema1.ca

Cinema 1’s online store extends their incredible selection of 4K movies to the digital realm. With free shipping on many orders, it’s a convenient option for those who prefer to shop from home but still want the quality and variety of a local independent store.

The Beat Goes On

Website: beatgoeson.com

The Beat Goes On’s online presence is just as impressive as its physical locations, offering an extensive range of 4K Blu-rays and exclusive editions. Check out their online store for great deals, with the added convenience of delivery straight to your door.

HMV

Website: HMV.ca

HMV is a well-established name in Canadian entertainment retail, offering a comprehensive selection of 4K movies across all genres. Their online store frequently runs promotions, making it a reliable option for those looking for both new releases and classic films.

Gruv.ca

Website: gruv.ca

GRUV.ca is the Canadian arm of GRUV Entertainment — operated under Universal Studios Canada — and has quickly become a go-to for physical media collectors, especially 4K UHD fans. Their catalogue spans a broad range of titles, from mainstream blockbusters to cult classics, limited edition steelbooks, and studio catalogues. With frequent sales (like their well-known “3 for $39.99 / CAD$40” 4K promotions), it’s a strong option for bargain hunters.

If you know any place or website we should add, please email us and we can add it.

The post Best Places to Buy 4K Movies in Toronto, Near Toronto, and Online in Canada appeared first on Toronto Guardian.